Panel discussion: Sustainability and ESG in African leaf tobacco

Phineas Mukomberanwa is the Founder of The Farmer Talk Club, incorporating Tobacco Farmer Talk (TFT) and TFT Climate Change and Sustainability. His deep understanding of the tobacco industry, from production to marketing, makes him a sought-after speaker at industry events, particularly on how best to embed sustainable practices in tobacco production. He holds an EMBA from MSU and is a Harvard Business School-trained Financial Inclusion Specialist.

Innocent earned his PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, focusing on the drivers and effects of smallholder participation in modern agrifood chains. Innocent has over 15 years of development experience, the last 10 years of which were dedicated to working as the Finance Director for Save the Children Norway and Zimbabwe. Innocent joined the ECLT Foundation in September 2010 as Senior Programme Manager and, since October 2022, he holds the position of Executive Director

Moses Chiswa is a Sustainability & Agronomy Officer at the Tobacco Leaf Exporters Association of Zimbabwe (TLEAZ), with 12 years of experience in the agricultural industry. He has played a pivotal role in aiding the tobacco industry in the development, monitoring, and reporting of sustainability standards within the industry's value chain. Specializing in Human and Labour Rights as well as Agricultural Labour Practices (ALP), Moses leverages his expertise to address industry-prioritized issues such as grower livelihoods, climate change and its impacts, workers' rights, child labor, and the establishment of grievance mechanisms, among other sustainability challenges. Moses is also a member of the National Steering Committee for Child Labour in Zimbabwe and has global-level experience within the tobacco industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, a Certificate in Labour Law, Conciliation and Arbitration, a Certificate in Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Management, and a Certificate in Human Rights Due Diligence.

With over a decade of experience in the agricultural sector, particularly in the realm of the tobacco industry, Sheilla Bauren has been a driving force in promoting sustainable practices and ethical standards in Zimbabwe's tobacco sector. Her efforts have been instrumental in pioneering the Sustainability Unit within the Zimbabwe Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), contributing significantly to the development of the Agricultural Labour Practices (ALP) code specific to the tobacco sector of Zimbabwe. This comprehensive code aims to uphold labour standards, ensuring the inclusion of ethical labour practices throughout the supply chain. She has made substantial contributions to the drafting of the Child Labour Statutory Instrument aimed at mitigating the issue of child labour within the tobacco industry.

Sheilla has gained comprehensive insights into the various facets of the tobacco industry, enabling her to make informed and impactful decisions in fostering environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable practices within the tobacco industry. Overally, Sheilla embodies the spirit and commitment to sustainability, and her contributions continue to be invaluable in shaping the ethical landscape of Zimbabwe's agricultural and tobacco sector.

• Maie Jiti, the founder and incumbent president of the Zimbabwe Integrated
• Commercial Farmers Union (ZICFU) and a commercial farmer.
• She is one of the biggest tobacco producers and other crops. In 1999 she resigned from her teaching job to take on full time farming
• The Vice Chairperson of the Marondera Show Society and a member of the Harare Agricultural Show Society.
• In 2006, she penetrated in the United Kingdom market and exported tonnes and tonnes of horticulture products
• In 2007 she won an international gold award for the best quality producer
• of fruits and vegetables, that was presented in France and several local show awards.
• A member of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA)
• 2023 she participated on the SADC
• She participated in 2024 SADC Capacity building of small scale farmers
• on compliance with sanitary and Phytosanitary measures focusing on food safety held in Mozambique.